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RESIDENTIAL TENANCIES ACT 1987

Table of Provisions

PART I -- Preliminary  

  • 1 Short title
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  • 2 Commencement
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  • 3 Terms used
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  • 4 Position of Crown
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  • 5 Application of Act
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  • 6 Modification of application of Act by regulation
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  • 7 Transitional provisions relating to commencement of this Act

PART II -- Administration  

  • 7A Commissioner
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  • 8 Functions of Commissioner
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  • 9 Commissioner may institute or defend proceedings for party
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  • 10 Delegation by Commissioner
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  • 11 Protection of officers
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  • 11A Information officially obtained to be confidential
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  • 11B Powers of investigation

PART III -- Determination of disputes  

  • 12 Terms used
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  • 12A Jurisdiction over prescribed disputes
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  • 13 Jurisdiction over other disputes
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  • 13A Magistrates Court’s jurisdiction
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  • 13B Appeals from decisions of registrar
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  • 14 Time for determination of proceedings
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  • 15 Applications for relief and orders that may be made
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  • 16 Enforcement
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  • 17A Disputes between tenants
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  • 17B Determination of rights and liabilities after termination of tenant’s interest on grounds of family violence
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  • 17 Application to vary or set aside order
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  • 18 Form of applications and notice of hearing
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  • 19 Witnesses and inspection of documents
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  • 20 General powers in proceedings
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  • 21 Evidence
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  • 22 Presentation of cases
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  • 23 Settlement by conciliation
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  • 24 Costs
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  • 25 Reservation of question of law
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  • 26 Finality of proceedings

PART IV -- Residential tenancy agreements

Division 1A -- Form of residential tenancy agreement and associated documents  

  • 27A Written residential tenancy agreement to be in prescribed form
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  • 27B Information to be given to tenant by lessor
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  • 27C Property condition report at start and end of tenancy

Division 1 -- Rent and security bonds  

  • 27 Restriction on consideration for tenancy agreement
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  • 28 Rent in advance
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  • 29 Security bonds
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  • 30 Variation of rent (except where calculated by reference to tenant’s income)
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  • 31A Variation of rent where calculated by reference to tenant’s income
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  • 31B Increase in rent after renegotiating lease
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  • 31 Increase in security bond
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  • 32 Limitation of excessive rents in certain circumstances
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  • 33 Duty to give receipt for rent
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  • 34A Manner of payment of rent
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  • 34 Proper records of rent to be kept
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  • 35 Payment of rent by post-dated cheques etc. prohibited
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  • 36 Apportionment of rent

Division 2 -- Standard terms  

  • 38 Tenant’s responsibility for cleanliness and damage
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  • 39 Tenant’s conduct on premises
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  • 40 Vacant possession
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  • 41 Legal impediments to occupation as residence
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  • 42 Lessor’s responsibility for cleanliness and repairs
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  • 43 Urgent repairs
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  • 44 Quiet enjoyment
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  • 45 Securing premises
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  • 46 Lessor’s right of entry
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  • 47 Right of tenant to affix and remove fixtures etc.
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  • 48 Lessor to bear outgoings in respect of premises
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  • 49A Lessor’s and tenant’s responsibilities in respect of public utility services
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  • 49 Right of tenant to assign or sub-let
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  • 50 Vicarious responsibility of tenant for breach by other person lawfully on premises

Division 3 -- General  

  • 51 Tenant to be notified of lessor’s name and address
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  • 52 Failure to pay rent with intention it be recovered from security bond
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  • 53 Tenant’s name, place of employment and forwarding address
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  • 54 Lessor to deliver copy of agreement to tenant
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  • 55 Cost of written agreement to be borne by lessor
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  • 56 Discrimination against tenants with children
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  • 56A Discrimination against tenants subjected or exposed to family violence
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  • 57 Accelerated rent and liquidated damages prohibited
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  • 58 Duty of mitigation
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  • 59A Minors
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  • 59B Death of one of 2 or more tenants
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  • 59C Recognition of certain persons as tenants
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  • 59D Tenant compensation bonds
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  • 59E Interference with quiet enjoyment
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  • 59F Offences relating to security of residential premises

PART V -- Termination of residential tenancy agreements

Division 1 -- How residential tenancy agreements are terminated  

  • 60 How residential tenancy agreements and tenant’s interests in agreements are terminated

Division 2 -- Notices of termination  

  • 61 Form of notice of termination by lessor
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  • 62 Notice of termination by lessor upon ground of breach of term of agreement
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  • 63 Notice of termination by lessor who has entered into contract of sale
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  • 64 Notice of termination by lessor without any ground
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  • 65 Termination by lessor where s. 32 invoked
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  • 66 Notice by lessor not waived by acceptance of rent
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  • 67 Form of notice of termination by tenant
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  • 68 Notice of termination by tenant
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  • 69 Notice of termination by lessor or tenant where agreement frustrated
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  • 70A Notice of termination by lessor or tenant at end of fixed term tenancy
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  • 70 Effect of notice of termination of periodic tenancy

Division 2A -- Special provisions about terminating tenant’s interest on grounds of family violence  

  • 71AA Terms used
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  • 71AB Notice of termination of tenant’s interest on ground that tenant subject to family violence
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  • 71AC Review of notice of termination under s. 71AB
  •   71AD. Rights of co-tenants after notice under s. 71AB   71AE. Termination of tenant’s interest by court on grounds of family violence  
  • 71AF Review of Division

Division 3 -- Special provisions about terminating social housing tenancy agreements

Subdivision 1 -- Preliminary  
  • 71A Terms used
  •  
  • 71B Application of Division
  • Subdivision 2 -- Notice of termination where tenant not eligible for social housing premises  
  • 71C Notice of termination by lessor on ground that tenant not eligible for social housing premises
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  • 71D Assessment of tenants eligibility for social housing premises
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  • 71E Criteria for assessing eligibility of tenants for social housing premises under s. 71D
  •   71F. Review of decision to give notice on ground that tenant not eligible for social housing premises  
  • 71G Time periods to be observed where notice of termination given under this Subdivision
  • Subdivision 3 -- Notice of termination where tenant offered alternative social housing premises  
  • 71H Notice of termination by lessor where tenant offered alternative social housing premises
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  • 71I Review of decision to give notice on ground that tenant offered alternative social housing premises
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  • 71J Time periods to be observed where notice of termination given under this Subdivision

Division 4 -- Orders for termination of residential tenancy agreement  

  • 71 Application by lessor for termination and order for possession
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  • 72 Application for termination and order for possession in relation to fixed term agreements
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  • 73A Notice of termination not required in certain cases
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  • 73 Termination of agreement where tenant causing serious damage or injury
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  • 74 Termination of agreement where lessor or tenant would otherwise suffer undue hardship
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  • 75A Termination of social housing tenancy agreement due to objectionable behaviour
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  • 75 Termination of agreement for breach by lessor
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  • 76A Termination of agreement by lessor if premises abandoned
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  • 76B Dispute about s. 76A notice

Division 5 -- General  

  • 76C Fixed term tenancies continued as periodic tenancies
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  • 76 Compensation to lessor for holding over
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  • 77 Abandonment of premises
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  • 78A Order about abandonment
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  • 78B Review of abandonment order
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  • 78 Right of lessor to compensation where tenant abandons premises
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  • 79 Abandoned goods
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  • 80A Abandoned documents
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  • 80 Recovery of possession of premises prohibited except by court order
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  • 81A Mortgagee repossessions of rented properties
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  • 81B Notice of proposed recovery of premises by person with superior title
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  • 81 Order for tenancy against person with superior title

PART VIA -- Residential tenancy databases

Division 1 -- Preliminary  

  • 82A Terms used
  •  
  • 82B Application of Part

Division 2 -- Tenancy database information  

  • 82C Notice of usual use of database
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  • 82D Notice of listing if database used
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  • 82E Listing can be made only for particular breaches by particular persons
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  • 82F Further restriction on listing
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  • 82G Ensuring quality of listing -- lessor’s or agent’s obligation
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  • 82H Ensuring quality of listing -- database operator’s obligation
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  • 82I Providing copy of personal information listed
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  • 82J Disputes about listings
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  • 82K Keeping personal information listed

PART VI -- Miscellaneous  

  • 82 Contracting out
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  • 83 Recovery of amounts paid under mistake of law or fact
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  • 84 Exemption of tenancy agreement or premises from provision of Act
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  • 85 Service
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  • 86 Court may refer matter to Commissioner for investigation
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  • 87A Defence where lessor and property manager are both charged with the same offence
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  • 87 Time for bringing proceedings
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  • 88A Infringement notices
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  • 88B Cross-examination of persons in proceedings involving family violence
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  • 88 Regulations
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  • 90 Review of Act

PART VII -- Savings and transitional provisions relating to the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2011

Division 1 -- Contracting out  

  • 91 Savings in relation to contracting out of standard terms

Division 2 -- Security bonds held in AFI  

  • 92 Terms used
  •  
  • 93 All security bonds to be transferred to bond administrator after renewal of agreement or within 18 months
  •  
  • 94 Requirements for AFI holding security bonds
  •  
  • 95 Power of Commissioner to obtain information relating to AFI security bond accounts
  •  
  • 96 Disposal of security bond held in AFIs

Division 3 -- Residential tenancy databases  

  • 97 Application of Part VIA to listings existing before commencement day

PART 8 -- Transitional provision relating to the Consumer Protection Legislation Amendment Act 2019  

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